Chapter 24 - Good Morning, and Goodbye

I think I've been going about all of this the wrong way.

Keep your head down, I told myself, take it slow and easy lest someone suspects that you're not the real Alexander. Just bide your time, smile, and don't step on any toes until you get used to this place.

Last night's conversation with Christine showed me just how silly that line of thinking was.

Alexander Halesworth would never be so quiet and well-behaved. No no no, he was the kind of brat who caused at least one major incident a month, knowing he'd get away with it thanks to his status. There was never any risk of me being locked up or forced to undergo an exorcism because of one simple fact: the Halesworths didn't have any other sons.

I was untouchable.

It was something I "knew", but didn't truly understand the weight of until last night when Christine recounted Alexander's misdeeds. Having only one heir means that the future of this family rests entirely upon my shoulders. What can my parents even do if they learn that their precious son is gone forever and an errant soul has taken his place? Help cover it up to prevent our shame and downfall, most probably. And I had a feeling that as long as my last name was still Halesworth they wouldn't give a damn if I was the demon king himself.

Thus my next course of action was set in stone. It might not do my image any favors, but there were times when the selfish brat's way of barreling along without caring for the consequences was exactly what I needed. Like right now.

I had a score to settle with someone and didn't feel like being subtle.

Thump, thump, thump, thump….

Heavy footsteps followed behind me, marching in perfect unison. Some of the mansion's servants shrunk back as we passed by, my armed retinue an imposing sight to behold. Others whispered to each other, trying to figure out who the hell roused Alexander's ire this time.

The very first thing I did upon waking up was call together ten of my family's guardsmen and Mr. Hudson. Now, at the crack of dawn, our group was headed towards the guest bedrooms. I didn't even bother to wait for Emma since I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted any part in this.

"Young master, are you certain?" The aged butler asked me again, looking worried as he kept up with my brisk pace. "Your parents will not be pleased by this, they-"

"No need to dissuade me, Mr. Hudson, I have made up my mind." I interrupted him. My gaze was locked straight ahead. "Or would you rather I go with my first suggestion? We could even make a contest of it and grant a prize to whoever can throw her possessions the farthest."

The old man still looked troubled, but didn't argue any further. Instead he sank deep into thought as if thinking of ways to minimize the damage my actions would cause or how he would explain what the hell happened to my parents. Probably a habit by now to be honest.

It's a good thing said parents were normally late risers; by the time they woke up, it'll be too late for them to do anything except chastise me for being so impulsive. How did the saying go again? Right. Easier to ask for forgiveness than to get permission.

Soon we arrived at our destination and one of the guards rapped his gauntleted knuckles on the door. After a brief wait, Ms. Perrins opened it with a scowl. She was dressed in a hastily thrown on robe and looked none too pleased at being disturbed so early in the day.

Her annoyance warped into alarm however when she saw me and the numerous guards standing outside.

"What in the world is going on? Is the estate under attack, young master Alexander!?"

With my lips curled up in my best attempt at a sneer, I gestured for Mr. Hudson to proceed, as if this matter was too small for me to bother with myself… I may be having too much fun with this. The old man obeyed without the faintest hint of his earlier disapproval, speaking in a very courteous tone. Yet the message I had him impart was anything but diplomatic.

"Lady Rosalind Perrins. Effective immediately, your contract with House Halesworth is hereby terminated. This humble butler shall arrange your transport to the city of Valencia, where you may embark on a ship to Gailan or whichever major port you wish. We will of course compensate you according to the terms of the..."

And so on, yada yada. It took a few seconds for the woman to recover from her shock and process Hudson's blunt words.

"What!?"

"You heard the man, you're fired," I said while faking a yawn. "And it shouldn't be too hard for you to figure out why. If you need any help vacating the premises, ask Mr. Hudson."

Perhaps I was being unfair. Ms. Perrins was a symptom, not the problem itself. Most of the fault lay with our parents, whose absurd expectations and callous treatment of Christine led to this mess in the first place. But I didn't particularly care. All that mattered was that my little sister didn't want to see this woman ever again, so out she goes. Bye bye~

As I turned to leave though, the woman protested.

"Is this about the young miss' petty tantrum from last night? Young master, you should know better than to indulge her like this. She's merely going through her rebellious phase, it's nothing a little, ehem, tough love won't fix."

...Hoh. Maybe I was actually being too lenient.

Well Mr. Hudson, I'm sorry but don't say I didn't try to end things peacefully.

"It seems you still don't understand. Very well," I said, flashing her a brilliant smile. "Then let me explain."

__________________________________________________________

Tip, tap, tip, tap.

The little lady of House Halesworth was walking aimlessly throughout the mansion. She had barely gotten a wink of sleep last night, spending hours just tossing and turning in bed. Even now her thoughts were still going over that talk with Alexander. Her cheeks burned as she remembered how absurd and spoiled she acted… if anyone else had seen that, she'd never be able to show her face in public again.

Though she still had a hard time believing that it even happened in the first place. Had she just dreamt everything? Maybe later when they ate breakfast her older brother would be back to normal, acting with complete disinterest or scorn towards her.

However, her pessimistic thoughts were soon rudely interrupted.

CRASH!

Christine frowned; did one of the maids break something so early in the morning? She crossed out that possibility as soon as she heard another shattering sound, along with a faint voice. The girl could barely make it out from this distance, but it sounded very familiar and very angry.

Is that… brother?

She hurried over in the direction of the din. As she approached, the words gradually became clearer.

"-incompetent old hag with an inflated reputation, coasting by on your previous accomplishments! A pathetic excuse for a teacher who only knows how to work with the gifted and flounders at the first real challenge to your skills!"

SMASH!

"Your methods are outdated, excessively rigid, and downright barbaric. Not only that, your personality is rotten to the core, taking cruel delight in making a young lady suffer under the guise of 'discipline'. Calling scum like you an educator would be an insult to the profession!"

CLANG!

At this point Christine had an inkling of what was going on. Her brother said he'd do something last night, but never would she have expected this. The girl froze in place, unsure whether to try to stop him or pull up a chair and enjoy the chaos.

How unfortunate though... it was too late for her to do either.

"Guards! 'Assist' her with packing and make sure she leaves within the hour. That woman is no longer welcome here."

Footsteps approached her and soon Alexander appeared from around the corner.

His face instantly went from an annoyed scowl to a bright, sunny smile. The gentle warmth in his eyes showed just how happy he was to see her.

"Ah, sis! You missed the show, but it's all been taken care of now. Told you, didn't I? Easy as pie."

Seeing him acting so carefree, Christine wondered if he was even aware of the potential fallout of his actions. While Perrins herself was nothing to worry about, the woman was still in essence a distinguished guest from Gailan, with connections to multiple noble houses and their royal family too... there was no telling if they'd be offended on her behalf. At the very least relations would be awkward between them for a while.

Christine didn't mention this though. In the end, she just smiled and said one thing.

"Thank you, big brother."

...

"Also, your hair looks ridiculous. It's as if you gave up on combing it halfway through."

"Oh shut up. There were circumstances."